The 10 best places to avoid noise, light and air pollution

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Haleakala Summit, Hawaii: Hawaii has some of the most consistently clean air on Earth — even bustling Honolulu gets good marks from WHO — and the ability to get up above the clouds into thinner, cleaner air on top of Haleakala, in Maui, means there is even better stargazing here than at sea level. Visitors can stay overnight to see the stars and take in the sunrise, giving you the best of both worlds. The Mauna Kea observatory on the Big Island is another superb option, although staying overnight is not possible there.
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Lapland Region, Finland: Way up in the northern Lapland region of Finland, the municipality of Muonio topped WHO’s most recent clean air list. While you pull in the fresh air, you can take in some superb views of the northern lights; Finns often ski or snowshoe into the countryside to see the lights, but VisitFinland.com has put together a list of more comfortable options, including heated tents and glass igloos. Muonio has the longest snow season in all of Finland, so if you don’t get clear skies right away, strap on some skis while you wait for a good night to see the lights.
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Canary Islands, Spain: Mountainous geography and a location in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean make La Palma and Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands among the purest destinations on the planet. Teide National Park on Tenerife includes the highest peak in the Atlantic Ocean for peak baggers, not to mention stargazers.
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Grasslands National Park, Canada: Gordon Hempton, founder of One Square Inch of Silence, did an acoustic survey at Saskatchewan’s Grasslands National Park and found that it has “the quietest, purest sounds,” he said. And much of the park is nearly absent of light pollution, according to Dark Site Finder. You won’t find much air pollution here either; the air in Canada is some of the best in the world, according to WHO.
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Te Anau, New Zealand: Global testing by the World Health Organization has found Te Anau to have some of the cleanest air worldwide. Its location at the entrance to Fiordland National Park makes it a basecamp for hikers and “trampers” who can see night skies so clear that there’s a small cottage industry offering night sky tours in the area. The presence of helicopter touring companies means it might not always be the quietest spot, but if you are hiking into the fjords or along the Kepler or Milford Tracks, you can escape the noise as soon as the heliports shut down each evening. The Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve in Mount Cook National Park is another superb New Zealand option, free of most air pollution and attracting stargazers from around the world.
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Mojave Desert, Calif.: Trevor Cox, a professor of acoustic engineering at the University of Salford and author of a book on natural sound phenomena, recommends the Kelso Dune area in the Mojave Desert. Cox visited the spot specifically because there are interesting sounds — the dunes make a growling or bellowing sound when you move the sand around that gives them the name “singing sands” — but Cox notes that the area is extremely quiet. “Kelso Dune in the Mojave Desert ... has no flights and no cars, and actually no sound at times because there is very little wildlife,” he says. “It is a special place.” The dunes are also located in a formidable area of dark skies, and the National Park Service’s “half the park is after dark” motto definitely applies here.
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Flagstaff, Arizona: Flagstaff was the first city named an International Dark Sky City by the International Dark Sky Association, and was in the top five for cleanest air in a recent State of the Air survey by the American Lung Association. This small city isn’t particularly quiet, but active civic measures to keep down noise pollution mean that it’s easy enough to find peace in the surrounding areas at places like Meteor Crater and Walnut Canyon.
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San Pedro de Atacama Region, Chile: Clean air, high altitude and the driest desert in the world combine to put the San Pedro de Atacama region at the top of the list of the darkest, clearest places on Earth. In addition to being free of light and air pollution, the desert environment also offers minimal sound from wildlife.
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Lapland Region, Finland: Way up in the northern Lapland region of Finland, the municipality of Muonio topped WHO’s most recent clean air list. While you pull in the fresh air, you can take in some superb views of the northern lights; Finns often ski or snowshoe into the countryside to see the lights, but VisitFinland.com has put together a list of more comfortable options, including heated tents and glass igloos. Muonio has the longest snow season in all of Finland, so if you don’t get clear skies right away, strap on some skis while you wait for a good night to see the lights.(Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Looking to get away from it all? Science has proven that nature travel can improve almost every aspect of your wellbeing, from increasing your attention span to improving your mood. To get the most benefit, it’s worth seeking out places with minimal noise, artificial light and air pollution.

But there is hope: There are several well-organized resources for finding the darkest, quietest and cleanest places left on Earth, including dark skies associations, noise experts and the World Health Organization’s survey of air conditions worldwide. I combined them all to pick 10 of the best places to find clear skies, bright stars, fresh air and the purest sounds of nature.

Flagstaff, Ariz.

Flagstaff was the first city named an International Dark Sky City by the International Dark Sky Association, and was in the top five for cleanest air in a recent State of the Air survey by the American Lung Association. This small city isn’t particularly quiet, but active civic measures to keep down noise pollution mean that it’s easy enough to find peace in the surrounding areas at places like Meteor Crater and Walnut Canyon.

Roisey, France

Roisey, located in the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region of France, has been determined by the World Health Organization to have the cleanest air in the country. Thanks in part to its location in a national park as well as altitude over 4,200 feet in some places, skies are also often very clear. Add to that an official population of just 909 people, and you have a great choice for getting away from it all right in the middle of Europe.

Te Anau, New Zealand

Global testing by the World Health Organization has found Te Anau to have some of the cleanest air worldwide. Its location at the entrance to Fiordland National Park makes it a basecamp for hikers and “trampers” who can see night skies so clear that there’s a small cottage industry offering night sky tours in the area. The presence of helicopter touring companies means it might not always be the quietest spot, but if you are hiking into the fjords or along the Kepler or Milford Tracks, you can escape the noise as soon as the heliports shut down each evening. The Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve in Mount Cook National Park is another superb New Zealand option, free of most air pollution and attracting stargazers from around the world.

Campisabalos, Spain

Located about 100 miles north of Madrid, Campisabalos is another city that sits high on WHO’s list of the best air in the world. Dark sky maps put it solidly away from most light pollution; if you want even darker, travel a bit southeast to the Parque Natural de la Serrania to the west of Cuenca, which also includes the Enchanted City, a geological wonder created by natural erosion approximately 90 million years ago.

Mojave Desert, Calif.

Trevor Cox, a professor of acoustic engineering at the University of Salford and author of a book on natural sound phenomena, recommends the Kelso Dune area in the Mojave Desert. Cox visited the spot specifically because there are interesting sounds — the dunes make a growling or bellowing sound when you move the sand around that gives them the name “singing sands” — but Cox notes that the area is extremely quiet. “Kelso Dune in the Mojave Desert ... has no flights and no cars, and actually no sound at times because there is very little wildlife,” he says. “It is a special place.” The dunes are also located in a formidable area of dark skies, and the National Park Service’s “half the park is after dark” motto definitely applies here.

Lapland Region, Finland

Way up in the northern Lapland region of Finland, the municipality of Muonio topped WHO’s most recent clean air list. While you pull in the fresh air, you can take in some superb views of the northern lights; Finns often ski or snowshoe into the countryside to see the lights, but VisitFinland.com has put together a list of more comfortable options, including heated tents and glass igloos. Muonio has the longest snow season in all of Finland, so if you don’t get clear skies right away, strap on some skis while you wait for a good night to see the lights.

San Pedro de Atacama Region, Chile

Clean air, high altitude and the driest desert in the world combine to put the San Pedro de Atacama region at the top of the list of the darkest, clearest places on Earth. Don’t believe me? Check out this timelapse video. In addition to being free of light and air pollution, the desert environment also offers minimal sound from wildlife.

Grasslands National Park, Canada

Gordon Hempton, founder of One Square Inch of Silence, did an acoustic survey at Saskatchewan’s Grasslands National Park and found that it has “the quietest, purest sounds,” he said. And much of the park is nearly absent of light pollution, according to Dark Site Finder. You won’t find much air pollution here either; the air in Canada is some of the best in the world, according to WHO.

Canary Islands, Spain

Mountainous geography and a location in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean make La Palma and Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands among the purest destinations on the planet. Teide National Park on Tenerife includes the highest peak in the Atlantic Ocean for peak baggers, not to mention stargazers.

Haleakala Summit, Hawaii

Hawaii has some of the most consistently clean air on Earth — even bustling Honolulu gets good marks from WHO — and the ability to get up above the clouds into thinner, cleaner air on top of Haleakala, in Maui, means there is even better stargazing here than at sea level. Visitors can stay overnight to see the stars and take in the sunrise, giving you the best of both worlds. The Mauna Kea observatory on the Big Island is another superb option, although staying overnight is not possible there.

Bonus option: Anechoic chambers

At least a few of the quietest places on Earth are manmade, including Guinness’s choice for the title, Microsoft’s Building 87 in Redmond, Wash. Anechoic chambers like this one are designed to block external noise and absorb internal sounds. Professor Cox notes that the anechoic chamber at Salford is open a few days a year for tours, but it’s not as quiet as you might think: “What surprises people is that it isn’t silent, because you can’t escape body sounds.”

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At Arches National Park in Utah, campers can connect with the past. While settling in for the night, watch our galaxy overhead as stars uncloak one by one. In a short time, the night sky fills with thousands of glittering jewels -- too many to count. Arches National Park’s work as a Dark Sky Park has helped promote the natural beauty of the sky and its struggle against light pollution.
Manish Mamtani, www.sharetheexperience.com

Called “The Badlands” by nineteenth-century French trappers because of the difficult terrain to cross, Badlands National Park is anything but “bad.” The park offers views that can stretch over 50 miles and the isolation required to see some killer night skies. On any given night, visitors can see more than 7,500 stars.
Erik Fremstad, www.sharetheexperience.com

The Cadiz Dunes are some of the most remote landscape in California. Encompassing over 19,000 acres of the Cadiz Dune system, these public lands give you plenty of space to find the perfect spot to watch the stars.
Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management

Canyonlands National Park offers stunning landscapes, along with deep geological and cultural history. This Utah park showcases the incredible effects of the long-term erosion of a landscape made of sedimentary rock. Camp at Island in the Sky to see some of these breathtaking views and a couple thousand stars throughout the night.
Emily Ogden, National Park Service

Come to Denali National Park from autumn to early spring to get breathtaking views of the aurora borealis. While the aurora occurs year-round, it is only visible in the park for about seven months when the night sky is dark enough. It’s a view you won’t want to miss.
Kent Miller, National Park Service

Almost 70 miles west of Florida’s Key West lies the remote Dry Tortugas National Park consisting of seven islands. Accessible only by boat or seaplane, this park’s views are worth the extra travel time. Dry Tortugas’s majestic Fort Jefferson, beautiful blue waters and surrounding coral reefs make it an amazing gem in the Gulf of Mexico.
Jeff Berkes, www.sharetheexperience.com

The Flaming Gorge Reservoir resides on the border between Utah and Wyoming and provides vital water storage and hydropower generation. The reservoir’s dam stands an impressive 502 feet tall but is hard to compare to the beauty and grace of Green River’s sharp cliffs.
Meyer Lewin, www.sharetheexperience.com

Glacier National Park is one of our finest parks for stargazing, so much so that it was named an International Dark Sky Park. If you’re lucky, you might even be able to catch the aurora borealis.
Jacob W. Frank, National Park Service

History stretches back over 10,000 years at Hovenweep National Monument to when nomadic Paleoindians passed through while hunting. The name “Hovenweep” is a Paiute/Ute word meaning “Deserted Valley,” which was adopted in 1874 by pioneer photographer William Henry Jackson. The structures at Hovenweep seen in the photo date back as far as 1200 A.D., allowing visitors to travel back to see what humans saw from these observatories hundreds of years ago.
Jacob W. Frank, National Park Service

Joshua Tree National Park is marked by two desert ecosystems coming together -- the Mojave and the Colorado. The conjoining of ecosystems gives this California park a wide diversity of wildlife and plants, including the famous Joshua Tree, which looks like it was happily plucked straight out of a Dr. Seuss book. Check out this fantastic park for a one-of-a-kind vegetation and great night skies.
Brad Sutton, National Park Service

Lassen National Park in California is marked by volcanic geology, including fumaroles (volcanic vents), boiling pools and steaming grounds galore. Attend an astronomy program to get a closer view of stars with binoculars or even witness the rings of Saturn through a telescope.
Alison Taggart-Barone, National Park Service

The Snake River winds through Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Areas in Idaho. This land is home to the greatest concentration of nesting birds of prey in North America. Some 800 pairs of eagles, hawks and falcons come each spring to mate and raise their young. It’s an amazing sight to see young birds learn to fly and hunt along the Snake River.
Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management

Mount Rainier National Park’s majestic peak towers over 14,000 feet tall and contains 25 named glaciers. During the summer months this Washington park turns into a rainbow of colors, filled with valleys overflowing with colorful wildflowers. Pictured here, the Milky Way erupts from the mountain. If you look closely, you can see the climbers getting an early start reaching to summit.
Evan Eremita, www.sharetheexperience.com

Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah contains three beautiful natural bridges named Kachina, Owachomo and Sipapu honoring the Native Americans who once made this area their home. Centuries ago, intermittent streams cut through sandstone to form these three bridges. Today, trails wind through the park’s deep canyons, cottonwood groves and pass all three bridges in one stunning hike.
Manish Mamtani, www.sharetheexperience.com

Part of Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness, Pole Creek Wilderness in Idaho has stunning mountains, hoodoos, natural arches and river canyons galore. Those looking to escape hectic urban life will not be disappointed. Step back into history and experience the wild west at the the Owyhee Canyonlands.
Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management

An icon of the great American west, the saguaro overwhelms the landscape of Arizona’s Saguaro National Park. The saguaro is one of America’s rarest plants --it only grows in the Sonoran Desert. No trip to Saguaro National Park is complete without catching a glimpse of these desert symbols.
Aaron Rayburn, www.sharetheexperience.com

Shenandoah National Park in Virginia lies just a mere 75 miles from the city lights of Washington, D.C. but it’s dark skies seem light years away. In this photo, the Milky Way shines over the Blue Ridge Mountains with the Perseid Meteor Shower visible.
Zack Danik, www.sharetheexperience.com

Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge contains a mix of Minnesota’s tallgrass prairie, wetlands and “Big Woods.” This wildlife refuge is an important habitat for bird species, including Sandhill Cranes and red-headed woodpeckers. The aurora borealis isn’t often seen in Minnesota, but when conditions are just right, it can make for a beautiful experience.
Bryan Worth, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

A hiker captured this photo of the Milky Way on the trail to the highest peak in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Clingmans Dome. This peak in Tennessee hugs the border of North Carolina, stretching 6,643 feet up to offer 360 degree views of the Smokies.
Tom Blankenship, www.sharetheexperience.com

Closely associated with Alaskan nights, the Northern Lights snake through the skies above White Mountains National Recreation Area. Aside from camping, this area’s more than 240 miles of maintained winter trails offers great winter recreation opportunities -- from cross-country skiing and snowshoeing to dog sledding and snowmobiling. No matter your activity, you can find breathtaking views, and on a clear night, northern lights illuminating the skies.
Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management

Old Faithful’s multiple daily eruptions draw massive crowds at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. The huge spurts of water can expel between 3,700-8,400 gallons in the span of a few minutes with water temperatures reaching over 200 degrees Fahrenheit. This natural phenomenon makes for a great show, especially with Yellowstone’s beautiful night sky as the backdrop.
Neal Herbert, National Park Service

The Milky Way dominates the sky above Zion National Park’s towering sandstone cliffs. These colorful 2,000-foot cliffs were sculpted over 250 million years ago from sand dunes of a desert. Today, this Utah park’s diverse topography and ecosystems allow more than 1,000 species of plants, 207 species of bird and 67 species of mammals to flourish here.
David Mills, www.sharetheexperience.com